Existing art for safety urinals includes devices made of transparent or translucent plastic material that are able to endure a sterilization temperature of 130.degree. C. In addition, existing art for urinals includes anti-backflow systems that are removable by unscrewing to permit cleaning of the unit; this feature is indispensable for emptying the urinal.
A drawback of existing urinals is that, during the emptying of the contents of a urinal via the large orifice of the neck typical of these urinals, the confined internal air of the urinals typically escaped unpleasantly toward the handler. Further, whether they involve a detachable or a fixed handle, existing urinal manufacturing techniques that involve blowing are such as to pose problems of tightness of fit in the case of manufactures done by mass production.
Examples of existing art for urinals, also referred to as urine collection containers are as follows. Hanifl, et al., URINE COLLECTION CONTAINER, U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,148 describes a simple hollow container with a sealable opening and a non-venting spout permitting pouring of contents from the container.
Haq, PORTABLE URINAL, U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,689 describes a portable urinal with a body, a flexible urine receiving tube external to the urinal, and an opening for releasing air from the urinal during filling. Also described is a urine specimen container connectable within the receiving tube.
Neither of these devices contain an anti-backflow device within the body of the urinal to prevent spillage. In addition, neither has a provision for detecting when it is near the full level, and neither describes internal odor prevention feature, features to distinguish the container in darkened environments or to distinguish particular features of the container, or a holder or hanger for easy use.
Deburgh, PORTABLE MALE URINAL, U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,476 describes a urinal which includes an elongated container with a frontal orifice for receiving the male organ, an internal tube slanting inwardly to prevent spillage, an outflow pipe, and an undersheet for securing the container in place while in use. The internal tube is not designed optimally for both filling and spillage prevention for the urinal. Further, this device describes no internal odor prevention feature, features to distinguish the container in darkened environments or to distinguish particular features of the container, or a holder or hanger for easy use.
Nakao, et al., URINATING RECEIVER, U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,103, describes a urine storage tank, a urinating receiver, a urinating discharge pipe between the receiver and the tank, and a hanging device for suspending the device. The device contains no anti-backflow feature within the body of the urinal to prevent spillage, has no provision for detecting when it is near the full level, describes no internal odor prevention feature, and contains no features to distinguish the container in darkened environments or to distinguish particular features of the container from one another.
Chenault, MALE URINAL, U.S. Pat. No. 2,358,850 describes a urinal having a trap, a handle fixed rigidly to the urinal, a screw cap, and a plug. The urinal of Chenault, however, does not describe a removable handle, does not have an internal odor prevention feature, color and phosphorescent features for particular elements of the system, and is not particularly designed in such a manner to maximize filling capacity while preventing spillage via an anti-backflow system.
It is thus clear that there is a need for a urinal that is composed of clear materials with a fill indicator, combined with an anti-backflow device with an interior end at the volumetric center point of the urinal, such that the anti-backflow device, when the urinal is filled to the indicated level, prevents spillage from the urinal.